Open face vacuum unit



Feb. 25, 1964 .1. R. GIERCZAK, SR 3, ,085

OPEN FACE VACUUM UNIT Filed April 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IO INVENTOR. g JOSEPH R.s|ERczAK,s/e.

ATTORNEYS 3,122,085 OPEN FACE VACUUM UNIT Joseph R. Gierczak, Sr., Detroit, Mich., assignor to The De Wittc Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 184,250

/ Claims. (Cl. 95-76) required the use of a number of valves and tubing to connect'the vacuum pump to the underside of the table top. For this reason such tables are expensive to produce, are subject to malfunctions caused by breakdowns of the valves or by tubing leakage, and are quite heavy and cumbersome to transport from one place to another.

It is an object of the present invention to produce. a simply and economically constructed vacuum table by providing such a table requiring no valves and no tubing.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portable vacuum table by providing a completely operable table top unit having a built in vacuum pump and which may be easily removed from a supporting base structure.

It is still a further object of the present invention to reduce the manufacturing costs of such a table by providing an economically produced distribution channel system for such a table.

Still further objects and advantage of the present invention will readily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following drawings in which like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view taken substantially at line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 enlarged for clarity.

FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view taken substantially at line 2B--2B of FIG. 2 and enlarged somewhat for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially at line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially at line 55 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the present invention, FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate a preferred vacuum table as comprising a table top unit 10 and a base unit 11 supporting the table top unit 10. The table top unit 10 and the base unit 11 are preferably secured by some means such as screws (not shown) which permits separation of the two units.

As can best be seen in FIG. 4, the table top unit 10 preferably comprises a pair of spaced side walls 12 and a pair of spaced end walls 13. A pair of spaced support members 14 extend between the end walls 13 substantially parallel to the side walls 12. A plate member 15 is secured to one edge of the walls 12 and 13 and is provided with a plurality of spaced perforations 16 extend- United States Patent 0 3,122,085 Patented Feb. 25,1964

ing on a line substantially midway intermediate and parallel to the end walls 13 as can best be seen in FIG. 3. A trough member 17 is provided with flanges 18 secured to the plate member 15 by any means such as welding and is positioned to form a passage 19 as can best be seen in FIG. 5 which communicates with the perforations 16. i

A top member 20 is provided withan opaque upper surface 21 and a lower surface 22 and is secured at its periphery to the plate member 15. The lower surface 22, best seen in FIGS. 2, 2A and 2B, is provided with a plurality of spaced grooves 23 parallel to the side walls 12. A somewhat larger groove 24 is provided in the lower surface 22 substantially normal to the grooves 23 and substantially midway between the sides of the top member 20. A plurality of grooves 25 extend angularly. from the groove 24 and intercept the grooves 23. Theupper surface 21 of the top member 20 is provided with a plurality of spaced perforations 26 which communicate with the grooves 23, 24 and 25. It is apparent that the perforations 16 provided in the plate member 15 are positioned to register with the groove 24. A plurality of register pin slots 27 maybe provided in the upper surface 21. C

One of the end walls 13 is provided with rectangular openings 2829 in which drawers'3031 respectively are slidably carried. The drawer 30 is smaller than the space between the end walls 13 leaving a compartment 34 as can best be seen in FIG. 4. A vacuum pump 35 is carried in the compartment 34 having an inlet (not shown) directly connected to the passage 19.

The base unit 11 preferably comprises a frame structure 37 engaging the side walls 12 and end walls 13 and supported by a pair of spaced leg members'38. A support member 39 preferably extends between and is secured to the leg members 38.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a simply constructed and simply operated vacuum table requiring no valves and having a vacuum pump which is built into the removable table top unit. By providing such a construction, all tubing is eliminated and the unit is completely portable and may be transported at reduced costs. The novel construction of the distribution means produces an effective vacuum without the need for valves. I

Although I have shown but one preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be apparent that many other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An open face vacuum unit for contact printing and the like comprising (a) a table top unit and a base unit supporting said table top unit,

(b) said table top unit having a plate member and a rectangular, opaque top member secured thereto,

(0) said top member having a bottom surface engaging said plate member and a top surface opposite said bottom surface,

(d) said bottom surface being provided with a plurality of parallel channels and said top surface being provided with a plurality of spaced perforations communicating with said channels, (e) a groove being provided in said bottom surface in a position substantially midway between a pair of opposite sides of said top member and substantially normal to said channels,

(f) a plurality of grooves in said bottom surface of said top member and extending angularly from said first mentioned groove angularly across said channels and terminating at corner portions of said top member, and

(g) vacuum producing means communicating with said first mentioned groove.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which said vacuum producing means is carried in said top unit and including means carried by said plate member connecting said vacuum producing means and said first mentioned groove.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 and in which said connecting means comprises a plurality of perforations provided in said plate member in registry with said first mentioned groove and a trough member secured to the underside of said plate member and providing communication between said vacuum producing means and said last mentioned perforations.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 and in which said base unit comprises,

(a) a frame structure carried by a pair of spaced leg members, and

(b) a supporting member extending between and secured to said spaced leg members.

5. An open face vacuum unit for contact printing and the like comprising (a) a base unit and a table top unit removably carried by said base unit,

(b) said table top unit having a rectangular top member provided with an opaque upper surface and a lower surface opposite said upper surface,

(0) said lower surface being provided with a plurality of spaced parallel channels and a groove substantially normal to and bisecting said channels,

(d) said lower surface further being provided with grooves extending substantially diagonally with respect to said top member and angularly intersecting said channels and said first mentioned groove,

(e) a plurality of perforations provided in said top member and registering with said channels,

(1) a flat plate member secured to said lower surface of said top member and closing said channels and said grooves, and

(g) vacuum producing means carried in said top unit and means providing communication between said vacuum producing means and said first mentioned groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,317,348 \Vekernan Apr. 27, 1943 2,672,080 Davidson Mar. 16, 1954 3,042,356 Audino July 3, 1962 

1. AN OPEN FACE VACUUM UNIT FOR CONTACT PRINTING AND THE LIKE COMPRISING (A) A TABLE TOP UNIT AND A BASE UNIT SUPPORTING SAID TABLE TOP UNIT, (B) SAID TABLE TOP UNIT HAVING A PLATE MEMBER AND A RECTANGULAR, OPAQUE TOP MEMBER SECURED THERETO, (C) SAID TOP MEMBER HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE ENGAGING SAID PLATE MEMBER AND A TOP SURFACE OPPOSITE SAID BOTTOM SURFACE, (D) SAID BOTTOM SURFACE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL CHANNELS AND SAID TOP SURFACE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED PERFORATIONS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHANNELS, (E) A GROOVE BEING PROVIDED IN SAID BOTTOM SURFACE IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOP MEMBER AND SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID CHANNELS, (F) A PLURALITY OF GROOVES IN SAID BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID TOP MEMBER AND EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM SAID FIRST MENTIONED GROOVE ANGULARLY ACROSS SAID CHANNELS AND TERMINATING AT CORNER PORTIONS OF SAID TOP MEMBER, AND (G) VACUUM PRODUCING MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED GROOVE. 